blowing away the cobwebs

Just back from a riding lesson on gentle giant Travis, the laziest horse in the world! Here he is above (but not me riding him, the pic is from the riding school website, as I keep forgetting to take my camera with me...). I've been feeling kind of fuzzy-headed all day, but now I am awake! A beach ride looks fun though, I might book myself on to the next one in August.

Meanwhile, the first Growing Boy colour visual is beginning to take shape...

the intrepid snailhunter

Today I took Jack to my old childhood haunt. The village of Fetteresso is about 20 minutes walk from our house but it feels like a journey back several decades. When I was a little girl I used to cycle here almost every day in summer and, although I drive past it frequently, I hardly ever take the time to wander through the village. The Old Inn is the house I always wanted to live when I grew up - very strange to go back as an adult (and I'd still like to live there!).

new project... and dinosaur rex

This fabulous table is my next project for the Painted Forest. As my head is filled with plants and summer for the Growing Boy, I think with a little tlc it will make a great potting table. First I need to sand it down and fix the wonky leg...

I took the top picture to show exactly how wonky the leg is (as you can see, very!) and have only just now noticed that Dinosaur Rex, as Jack calls him, has sneaked his way in!

how very european!

One of the Puddles prints will soon be heading off to Austria, while it looks as though my Fires of Beltane illustration will not be coming home soon after all. Someone who saw it in the touring exhibition, I Colori Del Sacro, now wants to buy it, so it will be staying in Italy when the exhibition closes in November...

All the creative activity is over on the Growing Boy blog at the moment. I have two precious weeks off work so am spending my evenings working up new roughs for the book and my days helping Jack become a knight of the realm with cardboard, sellotape and a horse made from a cardboard tube - he has a fabulous imagination! Afternoons are peppered with some outstanding design work and the pet portrait for Hannah, which I must finish before I head off to Edinburgh next week.

green shoots

The Growing Boy germinates at last...

shaky

new building

Not one of mine! You can read all about the new arts centre proposed for Aberdeen on the Peacock Visual Arts website, now in danger of being shelved in favour of a design with no imagination or sympathy for the surrounding gardens.

Grays' School of Art graduate Katie Guthrie has started a petition in support of the project in Union Terrace Gardens, and to save the historic gardens (and not have them 'slabbed over', like Sir Ian Wood is proposing). Please sign and let others know about it. http://tinyurl.com/n9rdxm

here comes the sun

The lovely summer issue of Juno with my illustrations has arrived, as usual packed full of interesting stuff and, this time, my bio - not too embarrassing, although I wish I had the time to beaver away on my books! Instead the Growing Boy is languishing untouched while I finish the leaflet for the Woodend Music Society....

our glorious leader

Some photoshop nonsense for Lee's birthday on Sunday (luckily he does not know, or care!, of the existence of this blog...)